Antiviral Photos

Movie Info

Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. Syd also supplies illegal samples of these viruses to piracy groups, smuggling them from the clinic in his own body. When he becomes infected with the disease that kills super sensation Hannah Geist, Syd becomes a target for collectors and rabid fans. He must unravel the mystery surrounding her death before he suffers the same fate. (c) Official Site

In Landry Jones, Cronenberg has found the ideal "unconventional" lead star for such a twisted future vision, as reprehensible and reptilian as the world around him, but with that faint glimmer of requisite humanity.

The creepy creativity does not fall far from the twisted tree in the filmmaking realm of writer-director Brandon Cronenberg...his impishly venomous vehicle percolates in the macabre mannerisms of his proud papa [David}...

Audience Reviews for Antiviral

½

A savvy filmmaker still needs a decent script. Cronenberg has more talent in his little finger than a school full of trained hacks, but the story here? Meh, not so much. It could've used more gell time maybe (as the ideas are sound sci-fi, no doubt). I'll be looking for more from this guy in the future.

Kevin M. Williams

Super Reviewer

David Cronenberg's kid does a pretty good job, especially considering it's his first feature. The world takes precedence over clarity of story, but so long as that's not the sort of thing that phases you, then I'd definitely recommend this dark satirical sci-fi.

Gimly M.

Super Reviewer

½

In the near future, fans will pay good money to be infected with a herpes simplex virus extracted from their favorite celebrity. Syd is in the business of supplying these bugs, but when he tries out the blood of the world's hottest model on himself, he accidentally infects himself with a fatal virus. Simultaneously trying to be science fiction, satire, body horror and a psychological thriller, ANTIVIRAL has a lot of moving parts that don't always mesh together; its wickedly interesting ideas and an excess of style help smooth over the many rough patches, though.

Greg S

Super Reviewer

Strange, sterile little film. Very impressed with Caleb Jones, he has a Michael Pitt air to him which lends well to the character.
The movie has something to say about celebrity obsession, although I think (hope) we have not quite got to the point of worshipping a celebrity so much you would pay to be infected with a virus they had or eat meat genetically made from them, as is shown here.
I would like to watch this one again before commenting further. It is beautifully filmed, but is not entirely accessible on first view.